Antrim Marina - Saturday 19th October 2024...

Antrim Marina - Saturday 19th October 2024

With the expected arrival of 'Storm Ashley' on Sunday 20th October 2024, I decided to visit Antrim Marina on Saturday the 19th.  This turned out to be a very good decision, as Sunday turned out to be very blustery day.

With it being Saturday, I arrived at Antrim Marina at the slightly later time of 10:40am, having completed a couple of chores at home in Ballymena before heading to Antrim.  On arrival, the sky was a 50/50 mix of sun and cloud, fairly calm, and the temperature gauge in my car read 11ºC.  As the morning wore on, the wind speed increased which made it feel a lot colder.

With the early return of -  2CTA  during my previous visit on Sunday 13th October 2024, today I was on the lookout for 25 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls recorded so far this winter, plus any further returnees.  Hoping to record the return of -  2FDJ  from Estonia today, there was no sign of it, or any others.

Things were a bit hectic when I arrived, as some folk were already feeding the ducks, with the gulls trying to grab a share of the bread and pellets purchased from the new dispenser.  Although the gulls were flying around all over the place, I estimated that there were easily around 80 of them.

The reading of colour-rings progressed nicely over the first hour, with -  2BRA  being the first to be read at 10:41, and 15 had been read by 11:03 ( 2FJT ).  Altogether, 19 rings were read today, the final four being -  2CSR  at 12:05,  2FIF  at 12:20,  2AAB  at 13:23 and -  2BRD  at 13:56.   2BRD , is not frequently recorded at the Marina during the winter, though I reckon it does hang out somewhere around the town of Antrim.  Today's sighting of -  2BRD , is the third here this winter, having previously been recorded on the 18th August and 22nd September 2024.  My first sighting today -  2BRA  and then -  2BRD , were both ringed here by Adam McClure on the 1st February 2015, as part of his former Northern Ireland Study.  It is now 9 years, 7 months and 21 days since the two of them were ringed.

Black-headed Gull  -   2BRD   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (19 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as an Adult Male, on the 1st February 2016, at Antrim Marina)

The metal-rung Icelandic Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was spotted at 10:49.  This bird returned to the Marina for a second winter running on the 11th August 2024, and was ringed in southern Iceland on the 14th July 2023.

A proper head count of the Black-headed Gulls was made at 12:45, with a total 83 counted.  By the time of my departure at 14:45, I reckon numbers remained around the same point, which was surprising as gulls would normally move on having had a good feed.

Trying to catch new birds to be ringed is proving to be quite hopeless task, as they are getting far too many early feeds from the public.  Both the gulls and some ducks regularly check the ground below the feed dispenser.  With the pellets falling into a static bowl, there is quite a good bit of spillage when people try to scoop the pellets onto their hands.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Saturday 19th October 2024

2BRA	2AAN	2FFX	2CSK	2FJA	2CJT	2FJK	2FFA	2FIL	2FJN
2FHV	2ACV	2ABN	2FHC	2FJT	2CSR	2FIF	2AAB	2BRD

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2CTA	2FFH	2FFT	2FIJ	2FJF	2FJL

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

In my previous post, I made mention about the lack of Common Gulls visiting the Marina so far this winter.  They must have read my post, as four adults were present on my arrival today.  By 12:12, I had 6 adults on site, though the small Scottish metal-rung female was not among them.  So far this winter, the female has been recorded on just two occasions - 4th August and 29th September 2024.

As always on my arrival, I look to see how many Mute Swans are about, as I use their presence on the slipway to catch Black-headed Gulls.  Once again, not a single swan was recorded.  Some people tell me that there are swans just south of the nearby Rea's Wood, so I cannot understand why none are visiting the Marina.

A rough count of the Mallards on my arrival gave me a total of 48 birds, with numbers quickly increasing to around 70 a short time later.  With so many feeds on the go today, most if not all legs were checked for metal-rings.

The young juvenile Herring Gull was present throughout todays visit, with it's father arriving at 11:50.  There was no sign of the female which has been absent for a couple of weeks now.  A second juvenile Herring Gull made a brief visit at 10:51.  There were too many people around for it's liking.  An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull also made a brief appearance at 11:58.

Two pairs of Rooks appeared briefly at 13:14.  Looks like they have also discovered the benefits of the pellet dispenser, a quick check on the ground and then they moved on.  I wonder what's going on with the Jackdaws?  Just the two today, whilst in more recent winters, numbers would easily surpass the dozen mark.  A single male Pied Wagtail completed today's other birds. 

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Antrim Marina - Sunday 13th October 2024...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 13th October 2024

Good weeks - bad weeks, this is how it is at Antrim Marina so far during this autumn/winter season.  Today, I arrived at my usual time of 10am, remaining (with much effort) until 2pm.  The temperature on my arrival read 10ºC, though it did feel a lot colder in the light westerly breeze.  It was a dull day with a lot of thick cloud.

With the shock appearance of Black-headed Gull -  2FFH  last Sunday, (which had to be resurrected on my spreadsheets), today, I was on the lookout for 24 colour-ringed gulls, plus any new returnees.  The initial start to reading rings went quite well and thereafter slowed considerably.  A head count of the Black-headed Gulls on my arrival, gave me a total of 53, which soon increased to around the 70 mark.  Once again, folk arrived early to feed the ducks and after that gull numbers dropped to around the 30 to 40 mark.

Long gone are the winters where numbers would easily have surpassed the 200 mark, sometimes pushing towards 300.  On reflection, numbers have never been the same here after the 'Gateway Centre' was built, and more recently 'Bird Flu' had definitely halved the numbers.  Some people have noticed the big drop in gull numbers which they were attributing to the 'Blue-Green Algae' though I know this is not the direct cause in the drop in adult gulls.  On the other hand, the amount of feeding for chicks has definitely been effected by the drop of insects on Lough Neagh, this being noted in the lack of juveniles.

The first ring to be read today, belonged to the Icelandic metal-rung -  543335 , scoped at 10:03, followed by -  2BRA  at 10:04.  By the end of my first hour, just 9 rings had been read, the 9th belonging to -  2AAN  at 10:46.  With the time approaching 1pm, my thoughts turned to quitting for the day, with just 14 rings read ( 2FHV  at 12:44).  At this point, a couple of people stopped by for a chat, including one lady who was up here from the City of Cork in the Republic of Ireland.  She observed me watching the gulls and wondered why.

Just as well, these conversations took place, as I would have missed a special returnee.  My 16th and final ring of the day to be read, was that of the early returning -  2CTA .  I had mentioned in my previous post, that -  2CTA  might be a possible returnee, though I had not really expected the bird for a further week.  I consider this gull to be a foreign breeder, though it has yet to be seen away from Antrim Marina.  Even when it does return, it is not often seen from week to week, though I do reckon it hangs around in the town of Antrim.

I caught and ringed -  2CTA  at Antrim Marina as a 2nd calendar year bird (hatched 2017), on the 10th December 2018.  It has returned to Antrim Marina every winter since being ringed, with the earliest return date having been recorded twice on the 25th October (2020 & 2021).  The latest date before it's departure, was recorded on the 24th February 2020.  I have a feeling that this gull has a 'staging site' where it 'hangs out' before returning to the Marina, and before moving on to it's nesting site.  There is definitely a lot more to be learnt about the movements of this bird.  It is now 5 years, 10 months and 3 days since it was ringed here.

With the return of -  2CTA , the overall total of colour-rings read so far this winter now rises to 25 gulls.  As I write this, it is now Friday evening on the 18th October.  With a strong storm forecast for this coming Sunday, I shall make my weekly visit to Antrim tomorrow - Saturday.  I'm looking forwards to this weekend, and if all goes well, I am hoping that -  2FDJ  will be back from Estonia.

Black-headed Gull  -   2CTA   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (13 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Calendar Year Bird, on the 10th December 2018, at Antrim Marina)

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 13th October 2024

2BRA	2FFA	2FFX	2FIF	2AAB	2ABN	2CJT	2CSR
2AAN	2FJN	2FHC	2FJA	2CSK	2FHV	2ACV	2CTA

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2BRA	2FFH	2FFT	2FIJ	2FIL	2FJF	2FJK	2FJL	2FJT

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

As always, on parking my car alongside the small concrete jetty, I look to see if there are any Mute Swans about.  With the use of the swans on the slipway, it is easier to catch gulls slipping by the legs of the swans to get bread where I can catch them much easier.  Not a single swan turned up during today's visit.

A count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 46 birds which quickly increased to around the 70 mark.  Again, most legs were checked for rings.

A juvenile Herring Gull was present on my arrival, and stayed throughout my visit.  I was not sure if this was the resident bird, as the resident youngster was not here during my previous two visits.  The resident male Herring Gull was on the roof of the 'Gateway Centre', but once he flew down to the slipway, the juvenile started 'squealing' to daddy.  There was no sign of the female.

An adult Common Gull arrived at 11:52, remaining throughout the remainder of my visit.  So far this winter, there is a complete lack of these birds appearing.  Although not common visitors, numbers should reach the dozen mark during the winter.  No sign again of the Scottish metal-rung female, which has been recorded twice so far this winter.

Once again, it was another poor showing of other species of bird, with just 2 Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow and a male Pied Wagtail recoded.

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From David Nixon...

From David Nixon

David Nixon has been in touch again, concerning four gull sightings that he made on Thursday 17th October 2024.  All four were photographed at the high tide roost at Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, County Down.

The first, was the third sighting this autumn of Herring Gull -  T6VE .   T6VE , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man.  All but two of this bird's 22 re-sightings have been reported at the Dundrum Inner Bay (South), with the first ever sighting having been made at Millquarter Bay on Strangford Lough, County Down on the 27th July 2020, and back on the Calf of Man on the 19th June 2023.

A regular winter visitor to Dundrum, the distance from the Calf of Man, is 71 kms / 44 miles (WNW).  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 3 months and 14 days.

Herring Gull  -   T6VE   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (17 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The second bird was that of an immature Herring Gull -  H74:M .  This bird was also ringed on the Calf of Man, as a chick, on the 1st July 2023.  This is the 4th sighting record for this gull, having previously been spotted on the 3rd March 2024 at Ardglass Harbour in County Down, here at Dundrum Inner Bay (South) on the 10th May 2024, and back at Ardglass Harbour on the 19th May 2014.  The duration since being ringed, is 1 year, 3 months and 16 days.  The distance from the Calf of Man, is 72 kms / 44 miles (WNW).

Herring Gull  -   H74:M   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (17 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2023, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The third bird was a juvenile Herring Gull rung -  D99:M .  It has been reported to Mark Fitzpatrick who is the ringing coordinator for the Isle of Man.   D99:M , would most likely to have been ringed as a chick on the Calf of Man this past summer.

Herring Gull  -   D99:M   -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (17 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the (Waiting for Details)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

The fourth gull is from the Isle of Arran in Ayrshire, Scotland.  Great Black-backed Gull - (White) 6B6:C, was ringed as a chick on the 3rd July 2019, on the Isle of Pladda, situated just off the southern coast of the Isle of Arran.  It's first sighting was made at Dougarie on Arran, on the 7th January 2020.

Since then, all six sightings including today's have been recorded here at Dundrum, twice in 2020 (June and July), July 2021, April 2022 and on the 23rd August 2023.  The duration since being ringed, is 5 years, 3 months and 14 days.  The distance from the Isle of Pladda to Dundrum, is 138 kms / 85 miles (SSW).

My thanks again goes to David for his sightings and excellent photos.

Great Black-backed Gull  -  (White)  6B6:C  -  Dundrum Inner Bay (South), Dundrum, Co. Down  (17 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Isle of Pladda, Isle of Arran, Ayrshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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Antrim Marina - Sunday 6th October 2024...

Antrim Marina - Sunday 6th October 2024

Today I was making my tenth weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, especially those that are colour-ringed.  So far this winter, 23 out of a possible 34 colour-rings have been read.  Of the remaining 11 gulls still to return, I have since decided to write off four of these as the should have been here from August, though I gave them the month of September as well.  I arrived at the Marina shortly after 10am.  It was a cloudy day, with a fair breeze blowing in from Lough Neagh, and the temperature gauge in my car read 15ºC.  Shortly after midday, showers of drizzle fell, leading to periods of heavier rainfall.

With the gulls and ducks nicely settled on parking my car beside the small concrete jetty, a count of the Black-headed Gulls totalled 63 birds.  Numbers increased to between 70 and 80 gulls by 12:30, and after this, numbers dropped down to around the 40 mark by the time of my departure at 2pm.

The first three rings to be read at 10:11, were those of  2FFA , the Icelandic  2FHV  and  2FJA .  My 7th sighting came as a bit of a shock.  Spotted at 10:25 on the long wooden jetty, was  2FFH .  Although I knew the gull was one of mine, I simply could not place the code.  I went back to my car to get my camera, but my initial photos were not great as the bird was facing me head on.  Later, I was able to obtain better photos when the gull landed on the rails of the concrete jetty.  Raking my mind wondering about the code, was it one of the two gulls that had been seen on the Whiteabbey Shore?  I couldn't wait to get home to look up the code. 

Wow, I had caught and ringed  2FFH  as a juvenile/1st calendar year bird at the Marina on the 7th December 2020.  After being ringed, it was recorded over my next two visits (14th & 21st December 2020), and then disappeared before turning up again on the 19th April 2021.  The next sighting was reported in an email from David Morrow.  He had spotted  2FFH  at Ballyronan Marina, on the 21st October 2021.  Ballyronan Marina is situated in the top left hand corner of Lough Neagh, some 19 kms / 11 miles (W) from Antrim Marina.

I can remember visiting Ballyronan Marina in the autumn and winter of 2022 to see if I could find the gull there, and having failed to return to Antrim, I eventually wrote the bird off as having perished.  On my Antrim Marina spreadsheet, the column for this bird was filled in with 'Red', (Dead).  I now had to 'Un-Kill'  2FFH .

All in all, I was glad to see it back in good health.  Watching it closely, it was at ease in joining the other gulls trying to get a share of the bread being fed to the ducks.  The only question now, is, will it remain here for the rest of the winter?  It is now 3 years, 9 months and 29 days since I ringed this one.  Could it also be a foreign bird?

Black-headed Gull  -   2FFH   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (06 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Juvenile/1st Calendar Year Bird, on the 7th December 2020, at Antrim Marina)

Juvenile/1st Winter Black-headed Gull  -   2FFH   -  Antrim Marina  (14 Dec 2020)

At the end of my first hour, I had recorded 16 colour-rings, with that of  2CSK  being read at 11:12.  My final and 19th colour-ring to be read at 13:21, was  2CSR .  Other than the unexpected return of  2FFH , none of the gulls that I've been waiting on appeared today.

Hopefully, things will become interesting over the next two to three weeks, as we reach the time when  2FDJ  returns from Estonia, plus the possibility that  2CTA  and  2FHT  (Poland) turning up as well.

Among today's five absentees, was that of  2FJF .  I'm now concerned about this gull, as it has not been seen since the 15th September 2024.  Prior to that, it had been recorded every week since my first weekly visit back on the 4th August 2024.  It was the only juvenile among the eight gulls that I caught and ringed last winter, which makes it rather special.

The Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335 , was spotted at 10:53 this morning, having been absent last week.  Like many of the other gulls, they came tantalisingly close to being caught and ringed, but they appear not to be hungry enough to take a chance feeding among the legs of the swans.  A few more swans on the slipway might help.

With  2FFH  putting in an appearance, this winter's total of colour-rings now sits at 24.

An email arrived with me on Sunday evening from a Maria Mulholland.  It turns out that she is a trainee ringer under the guidance of Steven Fyffe. Maria arrived at the Marina just after I had departed at 2pm.  Maria recorded two colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls -  2FIL  and  2FJL , both having been recorded during my visit.  Maria using binoculars could not read the rings of two other gulls as the colour-rings were covered in mud.  Those two were  2FFX  and  2FJT , and I had to use my camera to read those codes.  Thank you Maria to take the time to make the sightings and to report them to me.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 6th October 2024

2FFA	2FHV	2FJA	2AAN	2FFX	2CJT	2FFH	2FJT	2FJL	2AAB
2FIL	2ACV	2FJN	2FHC	2FJK	2CSK	2ABN	2BRA	2CSR

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina This Autumn/Winter but Absent Today

2BRD	2FFT	2FIF	2FIJ	2FJF

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

A count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 57 birds, with roughly the same number being present throughout my visit.  As usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings of the course of my stay.

There were no Mute Swans present on my arrival, but the first pair arrived in from Lough Neagh at 11:15.  Although both came to the slipway, neither could be enticed to come out onto the slipway.  Even reaching out to them with bread, they were very hesitant to come close, which tells me that they are not regulars here.  After spending a bit of time to look at their legs in the water, neither of them were ringed.

A second pair of Mute Swans arrived from the Lough at 12:30, but I never got a chance to see their legs, as they were repeatedly chased off by the male of the first pair.  A fifth bird, a male, appeared from upriver at 12:45.  This bird was allowed to alight onto the slipway, but it was not ringed.  

Once again, there was no sigh of the metal-rung Mute Swan -  X4707 .  My last sighting here of this male bird, was made on the 8th September 2024.  This same bird was here in June 2024 and had a partner at the time.  Making it's first appearance here of the winter on the 26th August 2024, it was on it's own.  Around that time, Danny from the Lough Neagh Rescue Team, told me that a swan had been found dead a few weeks before my first visit on the 8th August 2024, possibly this bird's partner.  Has X4707 departed for Bartins Bay where it was ringed in April 2024?

The resident male Herring Gull arrived at 10:48.  Once again, there was no sign of his partner or of his youngster.  I thought this young gull would remain at the Marina, especially seeing as it was receiving good feeds from the public whilst feeding the ducks.

A single un-ringed Common Gull arrived at 12:18, staying for around 15 minutes before flying back out towards Lough Neagh.

Just two Jackdaws, 1 Hooded Crow and a pair of Pied Wagtails were the only other species noted here today.

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From Suzanne Belshaw and John Clarke...

From Suzanne Belshaw

Another email arrived with me recently from Suzanne Belshaw concerning her latest sighting, along with two overlooked sightings from the end of August, and a near miss when trying to capture the metal number of a Mute Swan.  Also in the email, Suzanne stated that her sighting of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull was accepted.

The two belated sightings were of Black-headed Gulls recorded at Ballyholme in County Down on the 31st August 2024.  Responding to Suzanne, it had recently crossed my mind that no gull sightings had been reported at Ballyholme this winter.  I know a couple of birders operate in that area.  Normally, there are three Black-headed Gulls that are recorded in the area each winter, so it was good news that Suzanne had spotted two of them.

Black-headed Gull -  2ABT , belongs to Adam McClure's former Northern Ireland Study which ran from 2012 until 2018.   2ABT  was among the earliest of the gulls to have been ringed, and was ringed at Ballyholme as an adult male on the 24th January 2013.  Ballyholme is the wintering site for this gull, and has been spotted here almost every winter since being ringed.

In the summer months, the gull is often recorded at Sandy Bay in Larne, Co. Antrim.  The nearest breeding colony to Larne, is on the RSPB's Blue Circle Island Reserve on Larne Lough.  I once spotted -  2ABT  on the shore at Glynn (3rd July 2022), which is a stone's throw away from the island.  Over this past summer, the gull was recorded on the one occasion, and that was at Sandy Bay on the 8th June 2024 by Suzanne.

This latest sighting, is the 37th for the bird since being ringed in 2013.  The duration since being ringed is now 11 years, 7 months and 7 days.

Black-headed Gull  -   2ABT   -  Ballyholme Beach, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (31 Aug 2024)

(Ringed as an adult Male, on the 24th January 2013, at Ballyholme)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Black-headed Gull spotted at Ballyholme, was the Polish -  TRX9 .  This bird was ringed as a chick, on the 5th June 2019, on Ptasia Wyspa Island, on Lake Rynskie, Poland.  The gull has been a regular winter visitor to Ballyholme, since first being spotted there by John O'Boyle, on the 12th September 2021.  This latest sighting, is now the 22nd record at Ballyholme.  One sighting prior to it's first sighting here, was recorded on the 4th August 2019, when spotted at Ringstone Reservoir in West Yorkshire, England.

Suzanne has checked the 'Live' Polish Ringing Database, and -  TRX9  has yet to be seen back in it's native Poland.  The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 2 months and 26 days, and Ballyholme is situated 1,760 kms / 1,093 miles (W) from Ptasia Wyspa Island.

Black-headed Gull  -   TRX9   -  Luke's Point, Ballyholme, Co. Down  (31 Aug 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 5th June 2019, at Ptasia Wyspa Island, Lake Rynskie, Ryn, Poland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's most recent sighting was that of a metal-rung Black-headed Gull which is a frequent winter visitor the Lurgan Park Lake in County Armagh.   EZ02451 , was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2017, at the Elvanfoot colony in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.  All 21 sightings of this gull has been recorded at Lurgan Park, the first being as a juvenile bird on the 7th September 2017.  As with all metal-rung birds, Suzanne had to confirm the number via a series of photos.  Normally, gulls ringed at Elvanfoot are colour-ringed, but during the 2017 season, there were so many chicks about, they ran out of colour-rings hence -  EZ02451  being ringed with only the metal-ring.

The duration since being ringed, is now 7 years, 3 months and 13 days, and the distance from Elvanfoot is 202 kms / 125 miles (WSW).

Black-headed Gull  -   EZ02451   -  Lurgan Park Lake, Lurgan, Co. Armagh  (03 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2017, at Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, Scotland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Back in September, Suzanne sent me a series of photos which she believed was that of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull ringed (White) J2154.  I edited one photo to sharpen the brightness and contrast to make the code stand out better, and then sent a re-sized photo back to Suzanne with recommendation that she should report the sighting onto the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database and upload the photo to await the acceptance of the sighting.

Brilliant news has come back - the sighting was accepted.  Suzanne spotted (White) J2154 at Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, on the 25th September 2024, the bird's first sighting outside of Norway.  It was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2023, at Leirbergholmen Island, a short distance to the south-west from Stavanger.  One previous sighting was made on the 19th May 2024, when spotted at Revtangen - 19 kms / 11 miles (SW) from it's natal island.

The distance to Whitehouse Lagoon, 846 kms / 524 miles (SW) from Leirbergholmen Island, and the duration since being ringed, was 1 year, 3 months and 10 days.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  J2154  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough, Co. Antrim  (25 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2023, on Leirbergholmen Island, Hafrsfjorden (Fforde), Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Also back in September, Suzanne spotted a metal-rung Mute Swan at Stoneyford Reservoir just outside of Lisburn in County Antrim.  Unfortunately, Suzanne was only able to capture -  X474*  with her camera, knowing she was one number short.  On taking a closer look at the photo, it would appear that the ring butt is actually obscuring the final number.  I had a similar problem with a metal-rung Mute Swan which I came across at Glynn on Larne Lough a couple of years ago.  I cannot find the photo, and therefore may have accidently erased it.  I reminded Suzanne, that the whole number can also be found in miniature on the ring-butt. which may help.  Knowing Suzanne, I'm sure she will 'nail' this one in the future.

Again, my thanks goes to Suzanne for her sightings and photos.

Mute Swan  -   X474*   -  Stoneyford Reservoir, Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (19 Sep 2024)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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From John Clarke

My ex ringing trainer John Clarke has been in touch concerning the return of an Icelandic colour-ringed Oystercatcher - NY-S(UY) - Black over Yellow on the left leg, Grey Ring (Silver) with the letters UY on the right leg.

NY-G(UY), was ringed as a chick, on the 25th July 2019, in the area of Víðir Football Stadium in south-west Iceland.  The initial sightings in Northern Ireland occurred in December 2019 and February 2020 at Portballintrae on the north coast of County Antrim.

On the 15th August 2020, I spotted this bird at the Bann Estuary near Castlerock in County Londonderry, and by the 6th November 2020, the bird had moved eastwards along the coast to Portrush in County Antrim, when John himself first had his first sighting.  John also recorded - NY-S(UY) in January 2023 and in September 2023 back in Portrush.  This latest sighting at Portrush would appear to be this bird's favoured wintering site.

Back in Iceland, a single sighting was made in June 2022 in the south-west of the island.  Boddi, who is the ringing coordinator, is not sure whether it was seen this summer, as all sighting info has yet to be submitted to him. 

The distance from Víðir Football Stadium to Portrush, is 1,330 kms / 826 miles (SE), and the duration since being ringed, is 5 years, 2 months and 14 days.

My thanks goes to John for the sighting report and photo.  Not so long ago, John reported an Oystercatcher at the Myroe Levels on Lough Foyle, County Londonderry.  That particular bird had been spotted there in the past, but the ringer concerned failed to supply any details.  I had another go after John's sighting, but even after the British Trust for Ornithology asking the ringer to supply details, once again we are being ignored.  Most 'Ring Readers' in Northern Ireland have had similar problems.

Oystercatcher  -  NY-S(UY)  -  East Strand Car Park, Portrush, Co. Antrim  (09 Oct 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 25th July 2019, near Víðir Football Stadium), SW Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of John Clarke)

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Antrim Marina - Sunday 29th September 2024

Antrim Marina - Sunday 29th September 2024

Today saw me making my ninth weekly visit to Antrim Marina to study the wintering population of Black-headed Gulls, with some of those having been colour-ringed here.  I arrived at 10am this morning, the weather being cloudy but dry with a slight breeze.  The temperature gauge in my car read 14ºC.  So far this winter, I have recorded a total of 23 colour-ringed Black-headed Gulls out of a possible 34 birds that survived till the end of the 2023/2024 winter

On parking beside the small concrete jetty, I made a quick count of all birds present, which included a total of 41 Black-headed Gulls.  Throughout the visit, numbers remained low and probably never exceeded the 50 mark - this leading to a very poor visit.  The first ring of the day was that of -  2CSR  at 10:04, and by the end of my first hour at 11am, only 9 rings had been read altogether, with -  2BRA  being the ninth at 10:38.

From 11am onwards, the numbers were slow to add, and the 17th and final ring of the day, was that of Belfast breeding (Window on Wildlife Reserve) -  2FFX  at 13:25.  I therefore had six absentees today, and no further returnees were recorded.

Even the Icelandic metal-rung Black-headed Gull -  543335  failed to show itself today.  I did have rings ready to catch one or two new gulls to add to my study, but folk arrived early to feed the ducks, with the gulls getting more than their fair share.  With the edge taken of their hunger, the gulls were less eager to chance coming close to me.

I have checked my spreadsheets concerning the 11 colour-ringed gulls that are still to make an appearance this winter.  Of these, four should have been recorded by now, and looking at their past histories, all four should have returned from August onwards.  I'm now convinced that all four have either perished, or have chosen to winter somewhere else (which I think is unlikely).  The gulls concerned are :-

 2FDK  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 18th November 2019 as an unsexed adult, and last seen on the 13th July 2024 at Antrim's Junction One Shopping Centre.  This one more than the other three, should have returned by now seeing it was in the local area during the summer.

 2FIA  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 15th November 2021 as an unsexed 2nd calendar year bird, and last seen here on the 3rd March 2024.  I did come across 2FIA at my local park in Ballymena in December 2022, but it quickly returned to the Marina.

 2FIK  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 12th September 2022 as an unsexed adult, and last seen on the 31st March 2024.

 2FIP  - Ringed at Antrim Marina on the 28th November 2022 as an unsexed 2nd Calendar year bird, and last seen on the 11th March 2024.

Of the remaining 7 gulls :-

 2AFD  - is due back from Latvia in November.

 2CTA  - has no definite return date as it could appear at any time - breeding site is unknown.

 2FDJ  - is due back from Estonia towards the end of October.

 2FDL  - is a very late returnee that breeds in Sweden.  Return dates are in late November and early December.

 2FHT  - is an irregular visitor to the Marina and could appear at any time.  In the past, this gull has been recorded during the breeding season in Poland, and in December 2022 it was spotted at Whiteabbey on Belfast Lough.

 2FJH  &  2FJP  - were both caught and ringed at Antrim Marina last winter, and were last seen in February and January respectively.  Their absence so far may indicate that they are foreign breeding birds and are still to return.

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded at Antrim Marina on Sunday 29th September 2024

2CSR	2AAN	2CJT	2FJK	2AAB	2ACV	2FJT	2FHV	2BRA
2FFA	2FIF	2FJN	2CSK	2FJL	2FJA	2FIL	2FFX

Colour Ringed Black-headed Gulls Recorded This Autumn/Winter at Antrim Marina but Absent Today

2ABN	2BRD	2FFT	2FHC	2FIJ	2FJF

Other Birds at Antrim Marina

On parking next to the small concrete jetty, it was immediately noticeable that there were no Mute Swans about, and a quick peek at the small sandy beach saw no birds there either.  With the ringing of gulls in mind, it is helpful to have a few swans on the slipway.  At 10:18, I spotted a pair swimming in from the direction of Lough Neagh, though it took a while before they came out onto the slipway.  By this time, the ducks were already getting their first feeds of bread from passers by.  This was a disaster, as the gulls were also getting a share.  A second pair of Mute Swans swam in from the Lough at 1:23, but were constantly being chased off by the male from the first pair.  There has been no sign of the metal-rung -  X4707  over the last couple of weeks, the last sighting having been made on the 8th September 2024.

A count of the Mallards on my arrival, gave a total of 63 birds.  Although no further counts were made, the overall total appeared to be around the same throughout my visit.  As per usual, most if not all legs were checked for rings.

There was no sign of the Herring Gull family on my arrival.  The male arrived at 10:54, but, by the time that I departed, his female and juvenile never appeared.  A juvenile Herring Gull appeared at 12:57, settling down on the low wooden jetty, but I could tell straight away by it's reaction, this was not the resident youngster.

So far this winter, hardly any Common Gulls have been spotted.  At 12:33, I spotted one standing at the end of the long wooden jetty.  Through my binoculars, I could see a metal-ring, which was likely to be the small Scottish female -  EY64036 .  Grabbing my camera from the car, I took a series of photos and despite not capturing the two letters, I did get -  64036  which was enough to confirm the sighting.  This is now my second sighting for the gull this winter.  I first spotted it during my first weekly visit of the winter on the 4th August 2024.

 EY64036  was ringed as a chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, Scotland.  It first appeared at Antrim Marina as a juvenile, on the 9th February 2014.  The gull has been recorded here every winter since the 2013/2014 winter, though sightings in more recent years has greatly reduced.  Today's sighting is now the 64th to be made at the Marina, with the ring having to be read on each appearance just to be sure it is the same bird.  As you can imagine, the ring has never been read anywhere else.  Iain Livingstone who is the ringing coordinator for the Clyde Ringing Group, has told me that the Hunterston site no longer exists as it has been bulldozed over.  This meant the loss of a breeding site for both Common and Black-headed Gulls.  The ringing group are now using the Isle of Tiree to ring both species, but survival rates among the chicks have been somewhat erratic.

It has been 11 years, 3 months and 9 days since -  EY64036  was ringed, and the distance from Hunterston to Antrim Marina, is 141 kms / 87 miles (SW).

Common Gull  -   EY64036   -  Antrim Marina, Antrim Town, Co. Antrim  (29 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 20th June 2013, at Hunterston, North Ayrshire, Scotland)

Time was getting on, and I began to think that for the first time ever, no Jackdaws at all were going to be recorded, but a pair arrived just minutes before I departed.  The only other birds to be seen today, were a pair of Pied Wagtails which did not stay for long.

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From David Nixon and Suzanne Belshaw...

From David Nixon

David Nixon was at Millquarter Bay (Strangford Lough, Co. Down) on the 27th September 2024, when he spotted a Herring Gull - rung  T1VC .  This gull was last recorded in Northern Ireland back on the 25th October 2021 when spotted by David at this very same site.  Having reported his latest sighting to Mark Fitzpatrick who is the ringing coordinator for the gulls ringed on the Calf of Man (Isle of Man), there has been a further three sightings since October 2021. two at Strandhall on the mainland of the Isle of Man (both in December 2021), and on the Calf of Man in April 2023.

 T1VC , was ringed as a chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man.  The first two re-sightings were made at Millquarter Bay in June and July 2020 by Graham McElwaine, followed by two sightings back on the Isle of Man - Strandhall (October 2020), Calf of Man (July 2021).  Two sightings in September 2021 by Graham McElwaine saw the gull back at Millquarter Bay, followed by David's sighting there in October 2021 as mentioned above.

The duration since being ringed, is now 5 years, 2 months and 24 days, and Millquarter Bay is situated 56 kms / 34 miles (WNW) from the Calf of Man.  My thanks goes to David for the sighting report and photo, and to Mark Fitzpatrick for the updated history for this gull.

Herring Gull  -   T1VC   -  Millquarter Bay, Strangford Lough, Co. Down  (27 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 3rd July 2019, on the Calf of Man, Isle of Man)

(Photo Courtesy of David Nixon)

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From Suzanne Belshaw

Suzanne Belshaw visited Kilkeel Harbour in County Down on the 13th September 2024.  Whilst there, she spotted two colour-ringed Herring Gulls.  The first turned out to be a first sighting of -  110:D .  Having contacted Graham Prole who is the ringing coordinator for the Irish Midland Ringing Group, we learnt that the gull was ringed as a chick, on the 1st July 2017, on Ireland's Eye Island, in County Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

An impressive 7 years, 2 months and 12 days, had slipped past before this first sighting.  The distance from Ireland's Eye Island, to Kilkeel Harbour, is 72 kms / 44 miles (N).  Our thanks goes to Graham for the ringing details.

Herring Gull  -   110:D   -  Kilkeel Harbour, Kilkeel, Co. Down  (13 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 1st July 2017, at Ireland's Eye Island, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The second Herring Gull -  4X:W , was ringed as a chick, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island just off the coast from Donaghadee in County Down.  I recorded the first re-sighting for this gull on the 19th January 2020, on the seafront at Donaghadee.  

On the 16th June 2020, I visited Big Copeland Island to read colour-rings on adult Common Gulls, as well as colour-ringing their chicks.  Walking between colonies, I passed a small Herring Gull colony, where I had my second sighting of -  4X:W .

The next sighting, was made on the 16th August 2020, when spotted by Graham McElwaine at Mill Bay (East), on Carlingford Lough in southern Co. Down - some 77 kms / 47 miles (SSW) from Big Copeland Island.  The extensive tidal mudflats there draw in lots of gulls and waders during the autumn and winter months.

This was the last sighting until this one made by Suzanne at Kilkeel.  The distance from Big Copeland to the harbour at Kilkeel, is 75 kms / 46 miles (SSW), and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 4 months and 7 days.

It is very likely that -  4X:W  still breeds at the same spot on Big Copeland Island, but access to the island has not been possible under the new ownership.  Makes you wonder, when a gamekeeper is employed on the island!!!

Herring Gull  -   4X:W   -  Kilkeel Harbour, Kilkeel, Co. Down  (13 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Adult, on the 6th May 2015, on Big Copeland Island, The Copeland Islands, Co. Down)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

A metal-rung Herring Gull spotted by Suzanne near her home in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, meant the camera was called into action.  Taking many photos of the ring, the bird turned out to be the same gull recorded at this site on two previous occasions.  You can never assume that you are seeing a bird recorded previously, so the metal always has to be re-read.

 GJ31081 , was ringed as an unsexed 2nd calendar year+ bird, on the 27th November 2023, at the former Belfast Waterworks in Cliftonville, Belfast.  It may have been possible that this gull had come to 'grief' in one way or another, and may have been ringed before release by Debbie 'Doolittle' Nelson who runs a sanctuary for sick an injured wildlife.

Suzanne's previous sightings were made on the 16th and 30th June 2024.  The site in Lisburn, is 15 kms / 9 miles (SSW) from the Waterworks, and the duration since being ringed, is now 9 months and 19 days.

Herring Gull  -   GJ31081  -  Lisburn, Co. Antrim  (15 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed 2nd Year Plus Bird, on the 27th November 2023, at Belfast Waterworks, Cliftonville, Belfast)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

Suzanne's visit to Whitehouse Lagoon just north from Belfast, produced two ring sightings - one old and one new.  The old one, was that of an Icelandic Oystercatcher which has been recorded on the Lagoon every winter since it's first sighting there on the 6th September 2015.

Originally, the Oystercatcher was ringed with a Green Ring over a White Ring on the left leg, with a Green Flag over a Black Ring on the Right Leg - GW-GfN.  Somehow, the bird managed to discard the Green Flag on the right leg, whilst the Green Ring on the left leg slipped underneath the White Ring.

GW-GfN, was ringed as an unsexed breeding adult, on the 5th June 2015, in the Mjóanef area of southern Iceland.  As mentioned above, the bird has been recorded here every winter, with the only sighting last winter, having been recorded by Suzanne on the 1st September 2023.  The lack of sightings was due to less coverage, and there is no doubting that the bird spent the whole winter at the Lagoon.

Over the years, the Oystercatcher has been recorded back on it's breeding grounds in Iceland.  The ringer - Boddi, stated that they tried to re-catch the bird this past summer, to give it a new set of colour-rings, however, Boddi said that the bird was too cute to be caught for a second time.

The duration since being ringed, is now 9 years, 3 months and 19 days, and the distance from Mjóanef to Whitehouse Lagoon, is 1,294 kms / 804 miles (SE).

Oystercatcher  -  GW-GfN  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough  (25 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as an Unsexed Breeding Adult, on the 5th June 2015, at Mjóanef, Eystri Rangá, S. Iceland)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

The new sighting was that of a Norwegian Black-headed Gull.  Although the bird was quite distant from Suzanne, she just about managed to capture the code as being - (White) J2154.  Although the code looked a bit 'iffy', Suzanne sent me photos for my opinion.  I ran these through a photo editor to try and sharpen the colour and brightness and the code looked good for - (White) J2154.

I suggested that Suzanne should go ahead and submit her sighting onto the 'Live' Norwegian Ringing Database and to upload the re-sized photo that I sent to her.  Having done that, Suzanne was able to obtain the bird's history, although it might take a few days before the sighting is verified.

J2154, was ringed as a chick, on the 15th June 2023 on Leirbergholmen Island, on Hafrsfjorden (Fforde), just south-west of Stavanger, Norway.  One previous sighting was made on the 19th May 2024 at Revtangen, 19 kms / 11 miles (SW) from where it was ringed.

Suzanne's sighting at Whitehouse Lagoon is 846 kms / 525 miles (SW) from Leirbergholmen Island, and the duration since being ringed, is now 1 year, 3 months and 10 days.

As always, my thanks goes to Suzanne for her sighting reports, along with the photos.

Black-headed Gull  -  (White)  J2154  -  Whitehouse Lagoon, Belfast Lough  (27 Sep 2024)

(Ringed as a Chick, on the 15th June 2023, at Leirbergholmen, Hafrsfjorden, Sola, Rogaland, Norway)

(Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Belshaw)

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